In Minnesota, the usual suspects continue to carry the Viking ship. Adrian Peterson’s 372 rushing yards lead the league, Mike Zimmer’s defense is holding teams to less than 20 points per game, and Anthony Barr is making spectacular plays on a weekly basis, both against the run and in coverage.

On Thursday, the Vikings Territory staff will answer Lindsey’s Question of the Week and share our pick for the team’s most impressive player through the first four games of the season. A few obvious choices — Peterson, Barr, Harrison Smith — stand out, while a number of newcomers like Linval Joseph and Terence Newman could potentially make the list.

Today, I want to ask fans a similar question. As spectators, we expect greatness from the Vikings’ best players. It’s a given that Peterson can score whenever he touches the ball, or, that Xavier Rhodes will likely shut down an opponent’s number one receiver. But which players have exceeded expectations at the quarter mark of the season, and who is surprising you with their play?

Luke Inman of eDraftstops in to talk some Minnesota Fightin’ Vikings to fill up the Bye Week with some audible goodness. We touch on how the offensive line can get right in two weeks (it probably can’t), Teddy out-dueling Peyton Manning (no big deal), the new logjam at wide receiver, how that Zimmer Hellfire Defense is saving us, and if Blair Walsh is gonna get Scobee’d or Mason Crosby’d.

We also dive into Luke’s specialties of fantasy football and the rapidly approaching 2016 NFL Draft. Check out all of Luke’s videos on the eDraft YouTube page.

The Minnesota Vikings are currently 2-2 headed into an early bye week and firmly behind the Green Bay Packers in the great race for the NFC North crown. Still, the latest road loss provided some hope that this team isn’t too far behind the truly great ones, and this segment is all about focusing on the positive individual performances of the week.

Last week, in one of the closest votes in the history of this heralded (by me) award, safety Harrison Smith edged out running back Adrian Peterson for the weekly honors. Peterson won the honors in Week Two and linebacker Anthony Barr got it in the debacle that took place in Week One. You can always keep tabs on the weekly results by bookmarking our Schedule Page.

The 23-20 loss didn’t yield an enormous amount of dominating performances on the part of the Vikings, but there were enough standouts to make this week’s poll another interesting one. Read about the nominees and then cast your vote below.

Success in the National Football League is measured by the slightest of margins. An inch on fourth and short, the fateful bounce of a football off a receiver’s fingertips, a field goal that sails just left of the uprights. Wins and losses are defined by more than highlight touchdown runs or explosive touchdowns — they boil down to a team’s ability to do the little things to perfection, no matter the situation or conditions.

On Sunday afternoon, in a hard-fought battle a mile above the ocean, the Denver Broncos proved they’re a team capable of making the minute details of the game second-nature. Drive down the field and kick the game-winning field goal? Not a problem. Blitz Teddy Bridgewater and seal the victory with a sack-fumble? Schemed — and executed — to perfection. When the bell rang, the Broncos answered, and for that, they came away with a 23-20 win over the Minnesota Vikings.

Mike Zimmer’s team, meanwhile, weathered the storm that was Denver’s top-ranked defense and held on until the very end, making yesterday’s game a much closer battle than originally anticipated. Unlike the Broncos, though, the Vikings missed golden opportunities to steal a win from a 2014 playoff contender. A missed field goal, costly penalties on Denver’s final drive, and miscommunication along the offensive line squandered Minnesota’s opportunity to claim a “signature win” against the Broncos.

No one understands those details better than second-year Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, who went into Denver and outplayed the Broncos’ Peyton Manning, finishing the game with a 92.4 quarterback rating to the future Hall-of-Famer’s 68.9 rating. The stats jump out on paper, but a loss is a loss, and Bridgewater believes yesterday’s game was a learning lesson for himself and his teammates:

“We were in this game and had an opportunity to win it. We were a couple of plays away,” Bridgewater said. “This is one of those games where you have to be perfect. We know that we’re going to be in another game like this at some point this year and make sure we come out on top.”

Playoff teams win those games, and playoff teams find ways to win with their backs against the wall. The Vikings may not be ready for January football yet, but Mike Zimmer has this team heading in the right direction a quarter into this young 2015 season.

Despite a valiant effort by the Minnesota Fightin’ Vikings Defense and Teddy “Dave” Bridgewater, the Purple came up short Sunday afternoon in Denver 23-20. The Zimmer Hellfire Defense forced Peyton “Chicken Parm” Manning into two interceptions and his 2nd lowest QB rating of the season, but it wasn’t enough in Mile High as a sluggish start, a faulty offensive line, and a lame kicker denied the Vikings a much sought after road win and leave them at 2-2 heading into the bye week. We discuss the gold and fool’s gold from the game that was.

Other “No Moral Victories” Talkers Include
• My theory on why there were so many Vikings fans in Denver
• That Zimmer Hellfire Defense Leads the Way
• The Offensive Line Did Not
• Anthony Barr is Becoming a Force
• Harrison Smith is the Best Safety in the NFL
• Teddy Ballgame
• Mike Wallace BEASTED Today
• Adam Thielen & Stefon Diggs Deserve to Eat
• Robert Blanton is Still Blanton
• Blair Walsh Needs a Fire Lit Under Him
• Schedule After the Bye: 5-3 or 6-2 isn’t crazy
• Bye Week Podcast Schedule
• Visit our new sponsor Stars Draft for Daily Fantasy Sports!
• Bookmark us on Amazon & show some love!